London: If reducing stress is on your mind, turning off the e-mail app on your phone can be an easy and inexpensive way to bring happiness back into your life, new research suggests.

E-mail can simultaneously be a great communication tool and a source of frustration and stress, the findings showed. In a survey of around 2,000 people, London-based Future Work Centre found that people who automatically receive e-mail on their devices are more likely to report higher levels of e-mail pressure.

The study also pointed out that checking e-mail earlier in the morning or later at night is associated with higher levels of email pressure. "People who reported higher levels of e-mail pressure also experienced greater interference between work and home - and home and work,” the report said.

However, how much e-mail pressure you feel and the extent to which it interferes with your work-life balance may depend on your personality. "Our research shows that e-mail is a double-edged sword.

Whilst it can be a valuable communication tool, it is clear that it is a source of stress of frustration for many of us,” said lead author Richard MacKinnon, insight director, Future Work Centre, was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.